Archive for the 'Fishing Reports' Category

Lateral Line Ambassador Jay Fleming sent in this shot of a nice red fish he caught wading in shallow water this past week in Chesapeake, Virginia. WTG, Jay, nice fish and the Crisfieldfishing shirt looks sharp as well if we do not say so ourselves! (photo: Ben Fleming)

There is not much more to say about the weather we have been having Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay the last few weeks other then, its’ stinking HOT. The water temperature at Thomas Point Lighthouse registered at 84.0 degrees as I write this, that’s some warm water folks. Despite the heat anglers have been getting out on the water and having decent catches of striped bass, croaker, some large perch, spot and in the lower Maryland Chesapeake Bay reports of some nice sized red drum caught by light tackle, bait and trolling anglers. Read the full Maryland fishing report for details.

On the fisheries front this past week we had a joint meeting of the Sport Fish Advisory Commission and Tidal Fish Advisory Commission. There were not that many hot topics brought up other then the issue of spot traps in the bay which have gained popularity over the last few years as live lining has come into vogue. Nothing was decided at the meeting, but a committee of members of both commissions will convene and develop recommendations to be made to the Department of Natural Resources. The commissions take off the month of August and reconvene in September.

Also this past week was an ASMFC hearing in Annapolis on the topic of increasing the commercial catch of striped bass along the Atlantic coast. Recreational anglers came out in full force opposing any increase in the commercial catch. Many recreational anglers as well as groups like the Maryland Saltwater Sportsman Association (MSSA), Coastal Conservation Association of MD (CCA), Maryland Charter Boat Association (MCBA) turned out and testified against the increase as well. Reasons cited were numerous and hard to ignore. The fact that its been estimated that over 75% of striped bass in the Chesapeake have mycobacterium (often called myco) which essentially has 100% mortality is a hard thing to dismiss; it essentially makes these fish walking dead, it’s not if they will die it’s when. (if you are interested in learning more check the VIMS site on myco.

Also noted was the trending decrease in the young of the year index. The increase in pollution in our coastal waters and of immediate concern of the unknown effects that the oil spill in the Gulf will have on our coastal fish populations. Poaching by all groups, both commercial and recreational not being taken into account. The wide unknown how many fish are harvested in the Virginia winter recreational fishery, estimated to be between 200,000 – 800,000 fish, basically we have no grip on the real number. The large Virginia winter commercial striped bass fishery that intercepts the large breeding striped bass on their way to the breeding grounds in the upper Chesapeake Bay. And the effect that Shifting Baseline Syndrome
is having on all our perceptions of what a healthy population of fish is and/or should be.

Hearings will continue in other coastal states over the next few months and feedback and analysis brought before the ASMFC in the Fall/Winter meetings.

Upper Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reports
I have not heard much in the way of striped bass fishing for any keepers in and around the Susquehanna Flats and a few miles south. There are mixed results for live lining spot for striped bass in and around the Bay Bridge and Bay Bridge pilings. Spot have generally been on the smaller side and at times hard to catch. Some anglers fishing out of Sandy Point are heading to Hackets Bar outside the Severn River and catching their way though white perch to get some spot of size and then running back up to the Bay Bridge to dunk the spot on the pilings. With current you’re likely to find some keeper striped bass.

There have also been a few reports from in and around the Middle River, Knolls (6ft Knolls) area of lots of schoolie stripers and some smaller bluefish mixed in. Check your map for the lumps and humps in the Knolls area and with current drop some jigs.

Reports of jumbo white perch are available throughout the upper bay. Grass shrimp and bloodworms remain the bait of choice. Some of the better locations are the Bay Hackets Point, Bridge pilings, Magothy River mouth, Mountain Bar off Gibson Island, Key Bridge, Pooles Island, Swan Point Bar, Belvedere Shoals, Chester River and Corsica River.

Middle Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reports
Breaking striped bass has been the name of the game in the evenings in and around the mouth of Eastern Bay and over the last few days more in the Bloody Point area. Light tackle anglers have had the best luck with poppers while trolling anglers have had good luck with 15 and 17 Tony Accetta spoons.

Charlie S from TidalFish.com’s Maryland fishing forum filed this report from Thursday: We left Tilghman at 5:30am with intentions of drowning some spot down at the Gas Docks. Some last minute intel changed our minds and we went out into the “Hook” to look for some breakers. WE went from the So. end of Poplar all the way to Stone Rock without marking anything worth working over. Reversed course and headed north with the idea to look at E bay and see what was happening up there. Almost to 84 and there they were Continue Reading »

I have been on the road the last few months and am way behind posting reports and pictures of all my trips so I figured I ought to get this report out the door asap or it seems I never get them done. (picture left: A part of the Colorado Delta from the air. Click on all photos for larger versions)

My first stop on this adventure was Yuma, Arizona where I rondevued with my friend Tom and Luther P. who is the executive director of the Sonoran Institute on a mission to baseline via aerial photos the lower Colorado River/Colorado Delta where the Sonoran Institute is working on several restoration projects . I know Luther and his wife Liz from the non-profit conservation world as well as part of the Jackson Hole summer crowd. About four weeks ago we were all in the Bahamas together chasing bonefish. Tom and I have been talking with Luther about the Sonoran’s restoration efforts in the delta. Luther saw our aerial photo work we have been doing for the Henry’s Fork Foundation based in Idaho over the last few years (If you grab a copy of the Henry’s Fork 2010 calendar all the photos are mine and Tom’s) and asked if we could do some similar work for the Delta. After learning more about the great work Sonoran we agreed. We spent a day in Yuma checking out some restoration projects the city is doing around the river, had the privilege of having dinner with an elder from the Cocopah Indian Tribe to learn about his and the tribes viewpoint of all the water rights issues, and then the next morning awoke early to meet Fred our pilot who would fly us over the Delta and into Mexicali, Mexico. We took off and followed the river down to Mexicali where we landed and dropped off Luther and picked up Francisco who is in charge of the restoration project for Sonoran. As we flew over the delta and followed it to the mouth where it flows into the Gulf of California the only word that came to mind was “vast”. In many ways it’s vastness reminded me of the Chesapeake. An amazing site. After a few hour flight we landed and took a tour of specific restoration sites. We also visited with community that owns a large area of land in the delta which just so happened to have one, if not the best, largemouth bass fishing lake I have ever seen. We only managed to fish for thirty minutes, but I hooked a bunch of largemouth and saw more 7,8,9lb fish I have ever seen in one place. I’m headed back there in the fall for a longer visit .

An interesting thing to note is that just a few months ago Mexicali was hit with a 7+ earthquake and we managed to see some of the damage. The community that we visited that has the bass lake is so terrified of the aftershocks and everything they completely abandoned their village in fear another earthquake would strike and their homes fall on them. The entire village moved about two miles away and now lives in large mobile military tents. When you talk to the people you can see in their face the fear is as real as it gets. This is the type of story that rarely show up in the news once the initial reports and buzz on the story fade, but was a striking reminder to me of the real life struggles that people face after such natural disasters.

After we wrapped up our tours we had dinner in downtown Mexicali, hit the sack at a nice hotel in town and departed via truck back to the US. The car line wait to get back into the US was only 45 min which from my experience coming back into California from Mexico is not too bad. We were told the line can be as many as four hours sometimes….one hot wait in 100+ degree temps.

Once we got back to our place in Yuma I switched bags and started getting things together for the next part of my adventure which would take me to Seattle, WA for two days to stage and then to Yakutat, AK to chase some steelhead for a week.

Going over with Francisco, the head of the restoration project, which areas he would like to make sure we get some good aerial photos

Our pilot for the day, Fred, on the left, me, and Luther the CEO of the Sonoran Institute on the right

A part of the Colorado Delta from the air (Gulf of California in the background)

Where the natural Colorado River Stops and the man man-made river begins

On the ground checking out one of the restoration sites. The ditch is where irrigation water comes into the restoration project area

A new approved IGFA World Record from Virginia saltwaters. Male 20 pound Tippet Fly Rod Class Striped Bass weighed in at 51lbs, 5oz

Richie Keatley of Norfolk was approved recently as the newest World Record holder from Virginia. The 51lb, 5oz striped bass he boated on the fly at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on December 17th, 2010 topped the existing 43lbs, 12oz record previously held by another Virginia resident, Harry Huelsbeck.

Richie was fly fishing in his 22-foot boat at the Bay Bridge Tunnel using a hand-tied 3/0 Clouser blue-tinted fly. After a nerve racking battle and three netting attempts, once again Virginia fishing history was made!
Congratulations Richie!!

The Maryland trophy striped bass season is just a few weeks away and with the advent of great weather throughout the Chesapeake anglers are uncovering their boats and have fishing on the mind. While light tackle and fly fishing can be great fun, the preferred method by many anglers is trolling. You can cover a lot of water and with the stripers moving like they are this time of year it is usually a very effective method. Some light tackle and fly anglers employ trolling until they find a school of fish, then shut down the boat and the light tackle fishing anglers start jigging and fly anglers start dredging sinking lines or casting to breaking fish. Here is a great article by one a well known captains, Capt. Mark Galasso, on the Chesapeake where he explains several trolling set ups to get you started this spring on your hunt for that monster striped bass. (Note the link will take you to another site, TidalFish.com, for the full article with illustrations. Click here for the trolling set ups article)

Finally, welcome to the 2010 weekly Maryland fishing reports. Spring is here in Maryland, well almost other then this little cold snap we are having. Anglers are out and about catching perch in the upper tributaries, to striped bass catch and release fishing in the main stem of the Chesapeake. If you are a white perch angler this is probably going to be the height of the run, so get your rods and get out and do some fishing. Hot areas have been the Choptank around Red Bridges working south to Greensboro, the Upper Chester River up in and around Millington and on the western shore in the upper Patuxent River. (pictured is Mark light tackle fishing with some of his custom Shore Tackle light tackle rods in the middle Chesapeake Bay this past week)

Striped bass are making their way up the Chesapeake. I was in the Virginia Beach area last week and saw diving birds and stripers breaking at the mouth. Reports from friends said the stripers have been coming in waves and reports from the commercial anglers further up the Virginia portion of the bay are reporting good catches of striped bass. Some have already arrived and you can expect more as we move into April. Maryland’s catch and keep season is closed until April, catch and release is open, please use catch and release best practices when handling and releasing striped bass.

MSSA’s “Championship on the Chesapeake
April 30-May 2
” Winning rockfish could be worth $100,000.
To register, click www.mssa.net or call 410-255-5535
Want your event added to this listing in the fishing reports, enter it into the Tidal Fish Calendar of Events and shoot me an email at Brandon @ Tidal Fish .com with the event information once it is entered.

Maryland Fishing Reports

Upper Maryland Chesapeake Bay Fishing Reports
The Susquehanna Flats catch and release striped bass season is open. Reports from that area have been spotty, with the best success coming from anglers using bait (cut herring). Please remember if you use bait you are required to use circle hooks. A few big stripers were caught yesterday (Thursday) while those doing light tackle and fly fishing said the action was generally slow. In my experience fishing the flats, where I used to spend as many as twenty five plus days a year fishing, the fishing really does not get decent until the Continue Reading »

Anglers registered 5,191 trophy-size fish for Citation awards during the 52nd Annual Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, which ran from January 1st through December 31st. This was the tenth year in a row anglers registered at least 5,000 Citations since the Tournament began in 1958.

For the first time in Tournament history, speckled trout accounted for the largest number of Citations among the 35 eligible species. The 849 speckled trout registered last year represented 16% of all Citations awarded and was the second most ever for the species. Released speckled trout composed 28 % of the species total. Among the speckled trout Citations registered for weight, seven speckled trout topped the magic10-pound mark while 45 fish weighed 8 pounds or more.

Offshore anglers found white marlin willing targets in 2009, as bluewater anglers set an all-time mark of 775 whites, accounting for 15% of all Citations. The previous best was in 1978 when 728 of these acrobatic fish were registered in the Tournament. White marlin are only eligible for release so all of these beautiful billfish were released. The season’s first white marlin was caught June 26 but the fishing did not become consistent until mid-July. All of August and early September produced substantial catches of whites. What stood out about the 2009 season was some of the very best action occurred the last two weeks of September! Catches would have been much higher if the summer fishing fleet had been in place.

Only slightly behind white marlin and in third place for 2009, striped bass Citations totaled Continue Reading »